Better lavatories are "on the way" for Suvarnabhumi airport, with newly-designed and more practical toilets in Thailand's largest airport set to open this year, Airports of Thailand (AoT) says.
Maj Kamol Wongsomboon, deputy general manager of Suvarnabhumi's maintenance group, said the AoT has been working on renovations in the airport's toilets since last year, and aims to reopen all its 122 facilities by next year. He said yesterday the renovations will involve installing sensor-activated urinals and automated flush valves. Lavatories for the disabled will also be renovated to better assist disabled individuals and the elderly, he added.
The renovations will cost around 322 million baht. He said the plans have been split into four phases, with the first phase, renovating five toilet areas around Suvarnabhumi's passenger terminal and flight concourse, already complete.
AoT reports say toilets at Gates D1, D6, D8, E1, E3 and E10 have already been renovated, with those at three more gates still under reconstruction. The 63 lavatories which are part of this phase will be open by August, with the rest to follow by next year.
Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn yesterday criticised the lavatories during a probe of Suvarnabhumi, citing they are in "urgent need" of improvement. "The lavatories do not have much aesthetic value to them, and should be rebuilt, to make them more practical and efficient," he said. "They have received much criticism in the past, so we have instructed the AoT to deal with these matters as soon as possible."
The minister also inspected food and beverage prices at the airport, after conducting probes into the prices at Don Mueang International Airport last Friday. The probes were ordered by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha following criticism from Japanese media, and later, by the public, that food and beverage prices at Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi were too high.
However, Mr Pailin insisted the prices were justified, saying Suvarnabhumi has to operate 24 hours a day, which raises staffing costs. "There are a myriad of food and beverage choices for people to choose from, ranging from cheap food at the airport's food court to higher-priced restaurants," he said.
Suvarnabhumi's food court, called "Magic Food Point," is located at Gate 8 on the airport's first floor.
Mr Pailin said he has told the AoT to create more signs and increase public relations on the food court.